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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25565254">brown paper packages tied up with strings</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/notsowearypilgrim/pseuds/notsowearypilgrim'>notsowearypilgrim</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>the tinsel series [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas In July | Christmas Out Of Season, F/M, Family, Found Family, Gen, Human Baby Yoda, Mandomera, christmas in july, fluff fluff fluff, this is hallmark channel now i don't make the rules</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:48:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,854</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25565254</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/notsowearypilgrim/pseuds/notsowearypilgrim</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The first installment of my Mandomera Christmas In July series, based off of my fic don't get your tinsel in a tangle.</p><p>OR</p><p>Somebody told me that my writing reminded them of Hallmark movies and idk I just decided to run with that.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Omera (Star Wars)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>the tinsel series [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1679791</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>146</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>brown paper packages tied up with strings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“It’s okay,” he says calmly, still pulling bits of eggshell out of his beard and trying to be discreet about it. “Just try again.”</p><p>“I can’t.”</p><p>“Yes you can. C’mon, you know it’s okay to mess up. Just be gentle.”</p><p>Winta huffs, and taps the egg against the bowl – so softly that Din isn’t even sure it made contact.</p><p>He tries not to laugh. “You’re acting like you’re afraid of the egg. It’s okay.”</p><p>She scowls. “I’m not afraid.”</p><p>“Well, then prove it. Show that egg who’s boss.” He nods encouragingly.</p><p>Winta takes a deep breath and smacks the egg hard enough for the shell to crack into tiny pieces. Din’s ready this time though, and immediately swoops his hands underneath. With a lot of coaching (and encouraging shouting from Mateo, seated across from them at the kitchen island), they get the whole egg and none of the shell into the mixing bowl. The yolk is already broken but that hardly matters with gingerbread cookies.</p><p>“I did it!”</p><p>“Of course you did,” Din says, giving her a sticky high five. “Let’s wash our hands before we get the spices out, or we’ll get egg everywhere.”</p><p>While the batter is mixing, he keeps one ear tuned to the garage. Omera’s job has had her working longer days than usual, trying to cram as many patients in before they close for Christmas in three days. Din applied for his vacation time back in March, so he got home from work this afternoon and doesn’t go back until New Year’s.</p><p>There’s a big pot of chicken noodle soup simmering on the back burner, and hopefully the first batch of cookies will be done when she comes in the door. And then tonight…</p><p>Her present is ready early. And it requires explaining so he’s going to break the rules and tell her tonight when the kids are asleep; the envelope is waiting upstairs in his sock drawer and even though he’s pretty sure Winta hasn’t picked up on it, he’s not been this nervous since his wedding day.</p><p>“Daddy, I can’t reach the cookie cutters.”</p><p>With a start, he realizes he’s been wiping the same spot on the counter for who knows how long, and that Winta is standing precariously on a chair, reaching for the box where they keep cookie cutters and food coloring for the icing.</p><p>“Hey, don’t climb on stuff, ask me for help next time.” He lifts her down to the floor and hands her the box.</p><p>“But I climb trees in the park when Auntie Cara takes me.”</p><p><em>Do you now?</em> He’ll have to bring that up with his partner when she comes over in a couple of days.</p><p>“Well, that’s different than climbing a chair in your socks. It’s slippery and I don’t want you to fall and get hurt.”</p><p>“Okay. When I’m tall and can reach it on my own do I still have to ask you for help?”</p><p>“What?” He turns to look at her, bewildered.</p><p>“When I’m all grown up I’m gonna be really tall,” she explains breezily. “Do you still want me to ask you for help then?”</p><p>“Uh….” A full year of considering this girl as his own, and he still finds himself blindsided by her questions most days. “I…if you want.”</p><p>She blinks up at him.</p><p>“<em>Only</em> if you want,” he clarifies, at last finding his train of thought. “But maybe when you’re all grown up you’ll be taller than me, and I’ll have to ask you for help.”</p><p>“You mean when you’re old?”</p><p>Now there’s a twinkle in her eye, one that he knows means she’s planning something. But he’s still not able to predict what, so he goes along with her game.</p><p>“Yeah, when I’m old.”</p><p>“So, like, next week?”</p><p>Din chokes on his next words, staring at his sweet, kind-hearted daughter. She only grins, enormously satisfied with herself and suddenly he realizes who’s responsible for the ten year old sass currently being thrown at him.</p><p>“You’ve been spending too much time with Auntie Cara.”</p><p>“She said you would say that.”</p><p>He carefully takes off his apron. “She did, huh?”</p><p>“Yeah, and she said to tell you that she had to teach me how to be sassy because <em>you</em> haven’t learned anything from her and that’s after being her partner for years – “</p><p>She cuts off with a squeal, turning to run down the hall with Din right on her heels. Her laughter echoes through the living room, Din’s own coming in hard gasps as he tries not to lose his own balance in sock feet on the hardwood floor. Mateo is shouting his encouragement from the kitchen and Din almost collides head first with the wall when he takes a corner too fast.</p><p>They tear back into the kitchen and slide to a stop just in time to avoid colliding with Omera, who is standing in her work outfit and watching them both with one eyebrow raised delicately.</p><p>Din swallows the laughter and pokes Winta in the ribs.</p><p>“She started it.”</p><p>He gets a pinch to the tender skin behind his knee for that, and Mateo points at him.</p><p>“Daddy si-wee,” he declares.</p><p>“You got that right, Mateo.” Omera smiles. “Your daddy is being very silly.”</p><p>Din feels his ears go hot. “It’s Christmas.”</p><p>Omera laughs, and leans up and over Winta for a brief kiss.  “You look like you’ve had a fun day.”</p><p>“I have.” He squeezes her hand and pulls Mateo into his arms while she hugs Winta. “You look like you could use a fun day.”</p><p>“I could,” she admits tiredly. He hands over Mateo for his own greeting and sticks the bowl of cookie dough into the fridge to keep till after dinner. “I’ve got the food ready, why don’t you go take a shower and we can eat when you’re done? We had a late lunch so we don’t need to eat anytime soon.”</p><p>“That sounds great, actually.” Omera sets Mateo down, and watches him toddle off after WInta into the living room. Din is watching them too, until a warm, smooth palm is on his cheek, turning his head to look down into even warmer brown eyes.</p><p>“Why don’t you put a movie on for the kids, and come upstairs and join me?”</p><p>Din smiles on reflex, lets his kiss be all the answer she needs, and watches her walk away. He fixes a drink for both kids, puts on a movie, but then Winta asks to be covered with a blanket and then Mateo wants one too, but he wants the blue one, not the gray one, and then Winta’s blanket isn’t covering her feet.</p><p>He finally gets both of them content and situated, and tries not to sprint up the stairs.</p><p>To his surprise, Omera is simply standing in the bathroom doorway when he comes in. He opened the door quietly, so she didn’t hear him and he looks at her for a moment, leaning against the doorjamb and staring at something in the bathroom behind her. In that moment he realizes she doesn’t just look tired – she looks worried.</p><p>Before he can say anything to alert her to his presence, she sighs and pushes off the door frame. She disappears for a moment, and then he hears what he’s sure is a shaky exhale.</p><p>“Omera?”</p><p>She reappears in the doorway, holding something in her hand. Her eyes are wide and she’s wearing an expression that makes his knees shake.</p><p>“Is everything – “</p><p>In the time it takes him to say those two words, Omera comes to stand inches away from him, and wordlessly holds up what she’s holding for him to take.</p><p>Confused, worried, and more than a little freaked out, Din takes the two small plastic sticks. He puts one hand on her hip, for both their sakes, and looks at what she’s given him.</p><p>He blinks. And blinks again. His voice is gone. He clears his throat, finds he still can’t talk so he has to do that again too.</p><p>“Two…there’s two lines…so…”</p><p>He looks up at her. What he thought was fear he can now see is cautious, careful, but the joy is there all the same.</p><p>“I…gonna sit down…”</p><p>He grapples for and finds the edge of the bed, and lowers himself to sit, gaping down at those two little blue lines that have managed to tilt his world on its axis.</p><p>“Are you…” he licks his lips. “Are you sure?”</p><p>He still can’t take his eyes off of those blue lines, so he sees her nod in his peripheral vision. His eyes are starting to sting, but he’s determined to hold back his own tears for a few more moments. He lets out a long, shaky breath just like the one he heard from her mere moments ago, and holds his empty hand out towards her.</p><p>There’s a pause, like she’s hesitating. It’s long enough that he at last tears his eyes off the pregnancy tests and looks up at her.</p><p>Where before her expression was guarded, now she looks terrified.</p><p>“I always wanted a houseful,” she says at last, voice choked. “I…I know we might have talked about having one more after a little more time but…”</p><p>Belatedly, Din’s brain realizes that his reaction has not been very encouraging thus far.</p><p>“I’m not upset,” he blurts.</p><p>“Din – “</p><p>“I’m not,” he says more firmly, his hand still reaching for her. He waggles it, waving her closer. “I just don’t trust my knees not to give right now. I’m thrilled.”</p><p>“You are?”</p><p>At last she gives him her hand, and he tugs her into his lap, cups her face in his hands.</p><p>“Why wouldn’t I be thrilled? Haven’t you already taught me how great this life can be? Why would I be upset that it’s just going to get better?”</p><p>Omera stares at him for a moment, before taking one…two…three gasping breaths and then she’s sobbing into his shoulder in earnest.</p><p>“Hey.” He sets the tests down on the bed and wraps both arms around her, rocking slowly. “Did I make you afraid to tell me? Did you think I wouldn’t be happy about it?”</p><p>“Not that,” she manages, pulling back and wiping her eyes. “It’s just…this might be more than you signed up for, Din.”</p><p>He shrugs. “Mateo wasn’t a newborn when I got him, but I still had interrupted sleep and diapers and formula to worry about. I may not be an expert but I’m not terrified like I was with him.”</p><p>“It’s not that either.” She sighs. “You know we have an ultrasound tech in the office right? To do echocardiograms?”</p><p>“Yeah…Lucy, right?”</p><p>“Yes. Well, she’s not done any obstetric ultrasounds in a long time but she is very discreet and managed to take a look for me today. It wasn’t easy because the machine she uses doesn’t even have the right probe, just the one for the echocardiograms so she had to hunt down where they put all the extra probes when they bought the machine and she managed to do all of that without raising anyone’s suspicion, but anyway – she took a peek and…”</p><p>Omera takes a deep breath, and leans over to pull a slip of paper out of her purse. Din has never seen an ultrasound picture in his life, but Lucy is a very organized person and so he’s able to understand the labeling on the pictures. He squints determinedly.</p><p>“So the arrow is pointing to the baby, and the other arrow is pointing to….” He trails off.</p><p>All the air leaves his lungs.</p><p>“Baby A,” he reads quietly. “And…and baby B.”</p><p>Omera looks a little hopeful again, when he raises his head to stare at her. “Yes.”</p><p>“There’s two.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“There’s <em>two?</em>”</p><p>“Yes.” She’s starting to smile. Din has no idea if he’s smiling or not. He <em>is</em> pretty sure he’s crying now.</p><p>“We’re having twins?”</p><p>She huffs quietly, amused. “That’s what two babies born together usually are called, Din. Twins.”</p><p>He stares at her, looks down at the tests, the pictures, and then back up to stare at her some more.</p><p>“We’re having twins,” he manages, tossing the pictures to the side and kissing her for all he’s worth.</p><p>“Din,” she tries to say, but he just kisses her again and at some point he falls back to lay on the bed with his legs hanging over the side and Omera sprawled on top of him.</p><p>“Wait,” she gasps, pulling away with difficulty since Din is trying to attach his mouth to every bit of her that he can reach. “Din, honey, <em>wait</em> – “</p><p>Breathless and grinning so hard it hurts, he looks up at her.</p><p>“This will…this is going to require a lot of adjustments.”</p><p>He snorts. “Babe, I went from being a life long bachelor to a single dad in the span of about forty-five minutes. And you have yet to meet anything you can’t handle. Between the two of us, we’ll be fine.”</p><p>This was the right thing to say, judging by the way her eyes soften and she leans down to kiss him some more. He’s quite happy with this, and has no plans to move anytime soon until he remembers his original plans for this evening.</p><p>“My present is going to suck compared to this,” he says.</p><p>Omera snorts, surprised, into his neck. “What?”</p><p>“I was planning on telling you about it tonight, but…”</p><p>“Nuh-uh.” She squirms off his lap and folds her arms in a mock pout. “You can’t tease like that, if you were going to give me my present anyway then you can’t change your mind now. Especially after saying that.”</p><p>Din sighs. “Okay. Here.”</p><p>He retrieves the plain envelope from his sock drawer, and holds it out of reach when she reaches for it too quickly.</p><p>“Before you open this,” he says. “You have to promise that you’ll only accept it if you want to. Not if you want me to be happy, or the kids, or anybody but you. Promise?”</p><p>He’s got her attention and curiosity, but she can tell he’s serious so she nods her agreement. He hands it over and watches her read the slip of paper within.</p><p>“I…I don’t understand.”</p><p>“It’s my savings account. I started it with the money my parents left me, and I never really needed it for anything so it’s just been building up over the years.”</p><p>“Okay. But – Din, this is a lot of money. <em>Your</em> money. Why…why are you giving me access to it?”</p><p>“Well, I would have when we got married but I’ve been working on this present for about a year now and didn’t want to ruin the surprise. That’s the only reason I kept it from you.”</p><p>She smooths one hand over his cheek. “Din, you don’t owe me an explanation for that. I’m just confused, is all.”</p><p>He takes a deep breath. “I want you to take this money and go back to school. There’s a really good two year nursing program at a community college that’s thirty minutes away. I’ve done all the math, and what I’ve got saved up will get you through your basics and the first three semesters of the program. After that we should be able to afford it.”</p><p>Omera stares at him, stunned speechless.</p><p>“But only if you want,” he stresses. “And if you’d rather wait a while so you don’t have to take maternity leave or anything, that’s fine obviously, this doesn’t have an expiration date on it or anything, I just remember you saying you wanted to be a nurse and then couldn’t because your dad got sick and – “</p><p>He doesn’t get to finish; Omera tackles him back to the bed and starts kissing him so hard he can hear his pulse thundering away in his ears.</p><p>“I can’t believe – “ she gasps, crying in earnest and leaning back to whack him gently on the chest, “that you thought this would be a <em>lame</em> <em>gift</em> – “</p><p>“Compared to a pregnancy reveal, it is.”</p><p>“I don’t think so.” It’s her turn to cup his face between her hands. “Din, this is…it’s too much.”</p><p>“Don’t say that.” He shakes his head. “You’re gonna be great. All you needed was a chance, and I’m glad I get to be the one to give it to you.”</p><p>This, apparently, is also exactly what he was supposed to say, because after a few minutes of being thanked for it he stands up with Omera still clinging to him, legs wrapped around his middle.</p><p>“I put in the Grinch movie for the kids,” he says into her neck. “So we have a little while but not long.”</p><p>“Don’t need long,” she whimpers and cards her fingers through his hair. Din kisses her again, stopping in the doorway to slow them both down a little. She notices, pulls back and looks down into his eyes, questioning.</p><p>“Best Christmas of my life,” he says quietly.</p><p>She smiles – watery and shaky but unmistakable – and kisses him again.</p><p>“Mine too.”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>For context: this is the following Christmas after the events of the tinsel fic. The parts of this series will take place during various Christmases in the future, at random time intervals. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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